Show ContentsCostello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Costello originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Costello family lived at or near a "castle."

Early Origins of the Costello family

The surname Costello was first found in the year 1070, when Pantaleone Castelli was responsible for the construction of the bronze doors for the church of San Paolo.

Early History of the Costello family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Costello research. The years 1210, 1211, 1229, 1390, 1420, 1488, 1500, 1521, 1557, 1600, 1608, 1624, 1629, 1659, 1660 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Costello History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costello Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Costello include Castelli, Castello, Castella, Castiello, Castiglio, Del Castello, Del Castiglio, Castelletti, Castelletto, Castelletta, Castellini, Castellino, Castellucci, Casteluccio, Castelluzzi, Castelluzzo, Castellotti, Castellotto, Castellone, Castiglione, Castiglioni, Castioni, Castellacci, Castellaccio, Castellazzi, Castellazzo, Castellani, Castellano, Castellana, Castellàn, Castellaneta, Castellari, Castellaro, Castellarini, Castellarìn, Castelfranco, Castelfranchi, Castelnovo, Castelnuovo, Castelnovi, Castelvecchio, Castelvecchi, Castelvetro and many more.

Early Notables of the Costello family

Prominent among members of the family was Alberto Castellani was mayor of Cerea in 1210, 1211, and again in 1229; Pierozzo Castellani was a priest in 1390; Luca Castellano was a priest in 1420; Agostino Castelli of Brescia was a military engineer and a prominent architect in 1488; the Da Castello family, who were landowners in Novara during the 12th century; Ludovico Castellani was a famous sculptor in Ferrara in the 15th century; Castellano Castellani was a nobleman in Florence around this time; Salvi Castellucci was a famous painter...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Costello Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costello World Ranking

In the United States, the name Costello is the 1,297th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Costello is ranked the 293rd most popular surname with an estimated 154 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Costello is the 650th popular surname with an estimated 5,999 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Costello as 914th with 808 people. 4


United States Costello migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Costello or a variant listed above:

Costello Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Honor Costello who landed in America in 1756
  • Robert Costello, who landed in America in 1760-1763 5
Costello Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edmond Costello, aged 35, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 5
  • Thomas Costello, who landed in New York NY in 1815 5
  • Ellen Costello, aged 55, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 5
  • Ann Costello, who settled in New York State in 1848
  • Bridget Costello, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1850
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Costello Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sam Costello, who arrived in Alabama in 1922 5

Canada Costello migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Costello Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anastasia Costello, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
  • Collin Costello, aged 25, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Joseph Costello, aged 20, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Thomas Costello, aged 12, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Mr. Edward Costello, aged 25 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Costello migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Costello Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Costello, (b. 1797), aged 23, Irish labourer who was convicted in Roscommon, Ireland for 7 years for sedition, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Costello, (b. 1798), aged 30, Irish butcher who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Borodino" on 11th February 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 8
  • Miss Mary Costello who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Mr. John Costello, (b. 1813), aged 27, Irish labourer born in Galway who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for murder, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. Edward Costello, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Costello migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Costello Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Peter Costello, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
  • Miss Annie Costello, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 12
  • John Costello, aged 30, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • Margaret Costello, aged 23, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • Patrick Costello, aged 9 months, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Costello (post 1700) +

  • Elvis Costello (b. 1954), born DeClan Patrick McManus, English Grammy Award winning, twice Brit Award nominated singer and songwriter, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2003)
  • Ryan Costello (1996-2019), American Major League Baseball infielder who played college baseball for Central Connecticut State University, and was playing in the Minnesota Twins organization at the time of his death
  • Thomas Joseph Costello (1929-2019), American prelate of the Catholic Church
  • Mark Costello (1955-2015), American politician, Commissioner of Labor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2015
  • Paul Vincent Costello (1894-1986), American triple Olympic Gold Medal winner
  • Maurice Costello (1877-1950), American vaudeville actor
  • John Costello (b. 1850), U.S. Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
  • Helene Costello (1906-1957), American silent film actress
  • Vice Admiral Barry M. Costello, American Commander of the US Third Fleet of the United States Navy, (2005 to 2007)
  • Louis Francis "Lou" Costello (1906-1959), American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Mary Costello, American 2nd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13
  • Mr. Thomas Costello, Irish Fireman from Killawalla, County Mayo, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 14
SS Southern Cross
  • Mr. Thomas Costello (1895-1914), Newfoundlander from Conception Harbour who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found
  • Mr. Daniel Joseph Costello (1893-1914), Newfoundlander from Conception Harbour who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 21)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Borodino
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  14. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook